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James Milner says team-mate Jon Flanagan is “incredible”

Amidst all the euphoria of getting past Stoke in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out, it has almost been forgotten that the game marked Jon Flanagan’s first senior start in more than 20 months.

A player of a lesser calibre might have struggled to get through the ninety, especially after only playing 40 minutes with the first team since his comeback (40 minutes, which it should be said, were against League Two opposition – a far cry from last night’s pressure cooker).

But not Flanno – he astonishingly lasted for 105 minutes before being eventually replaced by Jordon Ibe, with James Milner shifting to right-back.

Now our vice-captain has been lavishing praise on the Scouse Cafu:

“Incredible, I can’t say enough good things about him,” said Milner. “The amount of time he’s been out, I don’t think there are too many players who could have come and played 100-odd minutes.”

“I can’t say more good things about him: the desire, the hard-working that no-one sees in the gym until five or six o’clock every day: the long hours (wondering) am I going to get back? Watching the lads go out and train, play games while you’re stuck in there with the physios”

“It was an unbelievable performance from him and amazing to see. The fans want to see a local boy do well. It’s a great story.” (via Echo)